- Three Crystal Palace stars name best player in the world
- Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal favoured
- Ex-Eagles star surprisingly omitted
Crystal Palace stars have given intriguing responses to the question of who is the best footballer on the planet today. Three of Oliver Glasner’s men were asked for their verdicts by the UEFA Conference League media team.
The Eagles’ Conference League campaign continues tonight. A quarter-final second leg against Fiorentina stands in the way of a first-ever European semi-final.
While Palace players prepare for the encounter with the Italians, they were likely glued to their television screens on Wednesday night. A Champions League classic between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid made for captivating viewing.
Crystal Palace Stars – Yamal or Mbappe
Bayern beat Madrid 4-3 after sealing an astonishing comeback victory. Former Palace hero Michael Olise bagged a sensational winner with the very last kick of the game.
Mbappe was on target for Los Blancos but couldn’t fire his team to victory. The French frontman is enjoying a superb season and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Adam Wharton believes Mbappe is the best player in the world right now. The France captain was his choice when asked in a video on X.
While the young English midfielder is obviously a fan of Mbappe, his two teammates, Yeremy Pino and Will Hughes, prefer Yamal. It’s somewhat surprising not to hear any of them name Olise, given how phenomenal he has been at the Allianz Arena.
Mbappe has been in red-hot form for Madrid, posting 40 goals in 39 games across competitions. Yamal continues to catch the eye at Barca and the Spaniard has registered 23 goals and 18 assists in 44 games.
Ex-Crystal Palace Star in Ballon d’Or Race
Mbappe’s Madrid and Yamal’s Barca are both out of this season’s Champions League. The Catalans suffered a 3-2 aggregate defeat to Atletico Madrid in another entertaining battle.
Those two will have been eager to win the Ballon d’Or later this year. But Bayern’s win means Harry Kane is now the 30% favourite to become the first Englishman since Michael Owen to win the award, per Polymarket.
Kane is joined in the race by Olise, who could become the first winner of the award to have played for Palace. He is currently the third favourite with a 16% chance, behind his Bayern teammate and Yamal, who has a 17% chance.
Olise is thriving in Munich, posting 18 goals and 29 assists in 43 games across competitions. The world is now noticing what Palace fans long knew about the Frenchman and his enormous talent.
